January 6, 2017: Session B2

Maithili Folklore Story 17_01_06b_02

Documented by Coralynn V. Davis and Carlos Gomez
Transcription by Nidhi Anand and Translation by Neeraj Kumar
Translation edits by Coralynn V. Davis

Teller: Roopam Jaiswal
Location: Tilak Chowk, Madhubani
Date: 1/6/2017

View the transcription in Maithili.

एक राजा छलखिन्ह हुनका सात गो बेटा एकटा बेटी। करवाचौठ भेलय। सब कोई सातो भौजाई सहल छलखिन्ह। बेटियो सहलखिन, माएयो सहल छलखिन्ह। हुनकर भाई सब बड्ड मान्य

छलखिन्ह बहिनकेँ। व्रत करय छियय ने त’ चेहरा मौला जाय छै एकदम त’ भाई सब कहलकय कि, आह! हमर बहिनकेँ चेहरा एकदम मौला गेल हय।

There once was a king. He had seven sons and one daughter. The Karwa Chauth festival had taken place. All seven sisters-in-law observed the fast. The daughter observed the fast, even the mother did. Her brothers loved her a lot. Now, as you know, during fasting your face often often becomes dry and looks pale, so her brothers exclaimed, “Oh! Our sister’s face has gone pale.”

उ कि करलखिन गाछी पर चढ़ि गेलखिन आ दिया जलाकेँ आइना से कहलकय बहिन देखि देखि देखि चाँद निकलि गेलौ निकलि गेलौ। आ भौजाई सब कहय, भौजाई सब कहय कि नै नै दीदी नै निकलल अछि। अहाँकेँ भैया ठगय यै। अहाँकेँ ई करय यै नै नै नै नै नै करू। 

Then what they did was to climb up into a tree, light an earthen lamp and tell their sister, “Sister, sister, hey, see the moon is visible now, it’s come out.” And the sisters-in-law would say, “No, no, sister, it has not. Your brothers are trying to fool you. They are doing this to you, no, no, don’t fall for that.”

फेर उ नै मानलखिन, ए हमर भाई सब एते मानय यै, नै नै हम भाईकेँ बात मानब कि अहाँ सबकेँ। 

But, she didn’t believe them. She said, “Huh, my brothers love me so much, so no, I will respect what my brothers are telling me, not what you people say.”

भाई कहलखिन कि नै नै देख हम झूठ बोलबौ तोरासँ बहिन देखि देखि देखि। त’ जेना ई चाँद देखिकेँ उ पानी पियय छथिन्ह कि ओने हुनकर पतिकेँ मोन खराब होय लगलय। हुनका खबरि आ गेलय कि अहाँकेँ पति जे अछि बीमार अछि उहाँ बहुत। पूजा नै करलखिन आ उ अपन ससुरारि चलि गेलखिन। 

The brothers said, “No, no, sister, look, do you really think we would lie to you?” Then as soon as she looked at the moon and drank water, then elsewhere her husband started to feel sick. She got the news that her husband had become very ill over there. She didn’t worship further and rushed to her in-law’s place.

देखय छथि त’ सहीमे पति हमर बड्ड बीमार अछि।

When she saw it, she found that her husband was indeed very sick.

त’ कहलकय कि बौआ अहाँ व्रत तोड़ि देलियय ने तांइ अहाँकेँ पति बीमार भऽ गेल अछि। 

People then told her, “Hey, child, you see, you broke your fast; that’s why your husband has become sick.”

त’ फेर उ पतिकेँ पूजा घरमे पतिकेँ राखि के करवामे पानि राखि के जल राखि के आ अगरबत्ती धूप लऽ कऽ बैसल रहलय। 

So she brought her husband to the worship room, put some water in the earthen bowl, and adding incense sticks and such, she remained sitting there.

साल भर भेलय करवा चौठ त’ फेर व्रत करलखिन। व्रत कऽ के आ तब पतिकेँ करवा के जल लऽ कऽ पतिकेँ छिटलखिन। हुनकर पति जय सीताराम जय सीताराम केलकय। जिंदा भऽ गेलखिन। 

A year later, when the festival arrived, she observed the fast of Karwa Chauth once again. After fasting, she sprinkled water from the earthen bowl on her husband. Her husband uttered Jai Sitaram, Jai Sitaram. He came back to life.

जिंदा भऽ गेलखिन तेँ कहलकय नै आब केकरो बात नै मानब। हमर भौजाई सब सही कहय छलखिन्ह। हमर भौजाई सब सही कहय छलखिन्ह।

He came back to life. That’s why she proclaimed, “No, from now on I will never follow what others say. My sisters-in-law were all telling the truth. They were all telling the truth.”

ई सब व्रत जे छै ने सासुरेमे लोक करय छै। नैहरमे नै करय छै। 

“Women perform this fasting festival only at their in-law’s home. Not at their parental home.”

ओइ दिनसँ नियम बनि गेलय, हँ, सासुरेमे। ई अहाँकेँ तीज जा अछि तीज लोग नैहरमे करत। तीज पर्व नैहरमे करत पर ईहो सासुरेकेँ करऽ के छै।

From that day, this became a rule, yes, only at one’s in-laws’ place.  While women observe the Teej festival only at their parental home, this one has to be observed only at one’s in-law’s home.